There's No Quick Fix When it Comes to Dieting

It can be a struggle to get into a new routine, whether it’s getting up earlier than you’re used to, eating healthily or hitting the gym. It seems this is totally normal though, as 71 per cent of adults have admitted that a new habit requires a “bedding in” period to try and get into the swing of it.

Making a positive change can take up to a month, according to the new research from Tilda Basmati Rice, which means those first couple of weeks are likely to be a massive slog.

In fact, it can take up to six exercise classes or seven gym sessions before you find them easy to stick with. However, within nine visits to the gym people start to see the benefits – so even it seems hard going at first, it’s worth sticking at it.

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On top of this, it can take 23 days of your strict new diet and 30 days of a general healthy eating regime before those salads get more bearable – although this doesn’t mean you won’t still crave chocolate after this time.

With good things only seeming to come to those who wait, it’s no surprise that many people don’t quite make it to the point where things get easier. Around three-quarters of adults admit that they give up too easily, which can mean they miss out on all the benefits of good habits.

However, 58 per cent people said they’d probably find it easier to stick with a new good habit if they were giving it a try with someone else.

It isn’t just healthy lifestyle changes that can be hard to get into, the research found that it can take up to eight weeks to get used to a new job, while a new hobby might be difficult to get into for the first six weeks.

Even things like films and TV need a bedding in period, with people needing to watch two episodes of a TV show and 13 minutes of a film before they get invested.

However, starting a good habit is definitely easier than kicking a bad one, with things like giving up chocolate or smoking taking an average of 51 days before you’re over the hump. Those 30 days of healthy eating seem much easier to get through than that!

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Camilla Sheeley from Tilda Basmati Rice, said: “It can take a while before we really get into something new.

“But it’s interesting to see just how long it takes to get into different things in our lives.

“While it may only take minutes to get into a new film or book, something which is hopefully going to lead to a healthier lifestyle such as going to the gym or eating healthily can take a little longer.

“However, it’s encouraging to see that if you stick with it for just a matter of weeks, you’ll soon be eating food which is good for you as part of your everyday routine.”